Article carrier



, Dec. 13, 1960 P. w. INGHAM ARTICLE CARRIER Filed July 16, 1958 INVENTOR.

PAUL W. INGHAM BY ZW United States Patent r 2,964,348 7 ARTICLE CARRIER V Paul W.- In'gh'am, Chicago, Ill. (900 Ma le Lane, Elk Grove Village, Ill.)

Thisinvention pertains to improvements in carriers for articles. More specifically stated this invention relates to improvements in devices for lifting, transporting and supporting a plurality of rows of upstanding articles, as for example, a plurality of rows of upstanding bottles. Still more particularly stated this invention pertains to certain improvements in carriers for a plurality of rows of bottles and the like having relatively large body portions, slender neck portions provided with enlargements suchas beads or rings or bulbous collars or the like at the mouth adjacent the upper end of the neck of the bottles.

:This invention also pertains to certain structural aspects of the improved carrier whereby the articles being carried are substantially locked in a temporary manner in carrying position in the carrier and whereby the earriers are adapted to be stacked in nested relationwhen not in use. s I

In commonly known devices of the general type contemplated by this invention, keyhole-shaped opening are sometimes employed so as to use the narrow or slot-.

shaped portion of the keyhole-shaped opening to engage the bulbous necks of the carried bottles in a carrying manner. In certain instances spring means are employed to temporarily lock the bottles thus engaged in such'carrying position. In other instances shoulder'means or cam means or like'st'op mechanisms are provided to tempor'arily lock thebottles thus engaged in carrying position. However, in all such devices, prior to this inventiomwher'ein the articles or bottles are supported in the carriers without the use of moving parts in such carriers, it is necessary, when loading and/or unloading the hotthis from such carriers, to tilt the carriers and/or the bottles' with respect to one another and to maneuver the various bottles past one another either into or'out of carrying position in such carriers. In no instancesare such-carriers adaptable for use in the carrying of more than two rows of bottles or similar articles.

'Inconventional carriers of the types adaptable for carrying more than two rowsof articles orbottles, and

which carriers are operable to be loaded or unloaded with the articles or bottles to be car'ried without the relative tilting andma'nipulating of the: articles or bottles as m'enti onedabove, movable lock elements or bottle neck or article neck engaging elements are provided to lock the necksof thearticles 'or bottles in carrying 'posi-,

tion once the "carrier has been loaded with bottles or articles to be carried. Obviously, the inclusionof su'ch movable parts in a carrier adds appreciably to the cost thereof and to the difiicnlty of using such device,'while on the other hand, the necessity of producing the relative tilting and the maneuvering of the. bottles to load and unload the conventional carriers Which'are not provided with movablelocking elements, adds very appreciably to the difiiculty of using such devices.

It is therefore one of the objectives of this invention to provide a relatively simple andextr'emely easily operable device for lifting, transporting and supporting a plurality of rows of articles, as for example,- bottles, bycarryingly engaging the enlarged neck portions; thereof; which de: vice is relatively easy and relatively inexpensive topro= time; which device consists-of a;unita ry structure and does not include any movingcparts; which device may be compactly and conveniently stored in a minimum of space with other and similarly made carriers due to a nesting structure or arrangement built -into;t he devices; and'whichdevice may be made of metal, plastic, reinforcedpaperior'other'like materials. .r H

A still further objective of; this invention is to provide anarticle carrier for carrying a plurality of rows' of articles which is easy to use and whichds adapted to be quickly loaded andunloaded with a minimum of effort and ma minimum of time, andin vyhich the articles when in carrying position are temporarily locked in the device ingsuch -carrying',position,- and=which device may be loaded and unloaded without any relative tilting of the articles either with respect to the carrier; or with respect to other articles being loaded or unloaded, andin which all the articles to be carried or being carried may be simultaneously loaded or unloaded; respectively, asthe case may be, by a simple manipulation ofwthe carrier.- A primary objective of this invention is .toprovide an improved an inexpensive carrier of unitary and simple (le sign without the inclusion of moving parts and adapted for use in the manual carrying of a plurality of rows of articles, such as bottles, which when carried are temporarily and automatically locked for carrying in up-; standing position. s V V j I The reference in this application to the particular usefulness of the invention in apparatus for carrying bottles and the selection of a bottle carrier as-a basis for the description of the preferred embodiment of the inven-: tion, ismade for the purpose of example onlygand is not to be interpreted as alimitation of the invention. Accordingly, the hereinafter contained description-of the preferred embodiment of the invention will concern itself primarily with structure for lifting and -transporting-and supporting bottles of the type havingan enlarged or bulbous portion at the upper end-of the -neck of the bottle.

The present invention in abottle carrier; possesses the advantages of providing a relatively simple and relatively inexpensive and easily made and easily operated.

R and highly efiicient bottle carrier forcarryinga plurality of rows of bottles, and possesses the further advantage-of being comprised of a unitary element having no moving parts but being adapted to temporarilyand automatically lock the bottles being carried in carrying positionand adapted-when not in use in the carrying of bottles to be compactly stacked in nested order. The present invention also possesses the furtheradvantage of being easily and quickly loaded and unloaded by the simultaneous loading or" unloading of all of the bottles being handled.

"The foregoing and other objectives, important novel and useful features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent andbe more easily understood upon exarnination of the following description .thereof. and the accompanying drawings and appended claims.

It should, however, be remembered that, 'without desire of limitation, the invention will be'fdesc'ribedand illus-.

trated as the preferred embodiment of the invention in a device for the carrying of upstanding bottles of the typeprovided with a bulbous upper neck portion- Certain changes andva'riations in the invention may suggest themselves to those skilled in the. pertinent arts upon review er this application, which chan es may not, hewever, depart .from the spirit of thisinyention and 'may comewithin the scope of the appended claims.

' In the accompanying drawings; 7

Figure 1 is a plan view of one variant of the invention,

showing one row of bottles supported in the device adapted to support a plurality of rows of bottles;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1; V

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 33 of Figure 1, showing the supported bottle in dotted lines;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detailed view, in top plan, similar to the upper left hand corner of Figure l, of a second variant of the invention;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 5--5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary, detailed view, in top plan, similar to the upper left hand corner of Figure l, of a third variant of the invention;

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 7-7 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary, detailed view, in top plan, similar to the upper left hand corner of Figure l, of a fourth variant of the invention;

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 9-9 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary, detailed view, in top plan, similar to the upper left hand corner of Figure 1, of a fifth variant of the invention;

Figure 11 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 11-11 of Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view of the modification of the invention shown in Figure 4; and showing the nesting arrangement of a number of such carriers;

Figure 13 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 13-43 of Figure l; and

Figure 14 is a plan view of an opening which may be substituted for the keyhole-shaped openings shown in the foregoing figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, in which like elements are identified by like numerals, and referring particularly to the variant of the invention shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, 20 represents generally the improved carrier having a relatively thin and a relatively stifi main body section 21 surrounded by an upwardly and outwardly directed frame or bracing beam arrangement 22 integrally. formed therewith or securely afiixed thereto, as for example by welding in the event the carrier is made of metal. The portions of the brace 22 function as trans-' versely extending and longitudinally extending bracing beams for the main body section 21, and due to their upward and outward tilt are adapted to nest when one carrier 20 is stacked on another carrier 20.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the body section 21 which, generally stated, lies in a single horizontal plane when in position for loading with upstanding bottles, is provided with longitudinally extending alternate and equal size and uniformly spaced and parallel upwardly convex ridges 23 and downwardly concave troughs 24, producing a transversely wavy or undulating upper surface and lower surface on the body section 21. Uniformly and symmetrically spaced keyhole-shaped openings 25 are arranged in a plurality of transversely extending and longitudinally extending parallel rows of keyholes 25 with four keyholes 25 in each row. Keyholes 25 are so arranged that the large portion 26 of each keyhole 25 is positioned at least partially in the crest portion of a wave or ridge 23 and the narrow or slot-like portion 27 of each keyhole 25 is directed in the same direction and extends from the side of a crest or ridge 23 into a trough 24. By this arrangement, when the plane of the carrier 20 is horizontal, the large portion 26 of each of the keyholes 25 is positioned at a higher elevation than the narrow or slot-shaped portion 27 of the respective keyholes. 7

All of the narrow portions 27 of the keyholes 25, in the plurality of parallel rows of keyholes 25 extend in the same direction from the associated larger portions 26 of the thus symmetrically arranged keyholes 25. In each keyhole 25 the large portion 26 is sufficiently large as to permit the easy vertical movement therethrough of the capped mouth portion 28 at the upper end of the neck 29 of each of the upstanding bottles 31 to be loaded into the carrier, but will not permit the passage therethrough of the enlarged body portion 31 of the bottle 30. A bulbous portion or bead or ring-like enlargement 32 is provided on the outer surface of the upper end of the neck 29 immediately below the bottle mouth portion of each of the bottles 30. The narrow and elongated or slotshaped portion 27 of each of the keyholes 25 is sufiiciently wide as to permit easy straddling by the parallel side edges of such portions 27 over the necks 29 of the bottles 30, immediately below the enlarged bead or ring portions 32. However, the width of each of the portions 27 is less than the outer diameter of the rings 32.

In using the improved bottle carrier 20, the carrier is lowered vertically over a plurality of parallel rows of upstanding bottles 30. The tops of those bottles are disposed in a common horizontal plane and are vertically aligned with the large portions 26 of the complementary parallel rows of keyhole openings 25 in carrier 20. The lowering continues until the mouths of the bottles extend through the enlarged keyhole-shaped opening portions 26 to such an extent that the bottle rings 32 are above the upper end of the narrow portions 27 of the keyholes 25 at the locus of juncture of the portions 26 and 27. The carrier 20 is then moved horizontally from left to right as viewed in Figure 1, parallel to the plane of the tops 28 of the bottles 30, thereby causing the parallel side edges 33 and 34 of the slot-like narrow portions 27 of the keyhole openings 25 to straddle the necks 29 of the bottles 30 immediately below the bulbous ring-like enlargements 32. With the carrier 20 thus disposed on the necks of the upstanding rows of bottles 30, as shown for one row of bottles 30 in Figure '1, a vertical upward movement of the carrier 20, as by lifting on the handle 35, will cause the supporting or carrying engagement of the edges 33 and 34 of the narrow portions 27 of the openings 25 against portions of the under-surface of the rings 32, whereupon the bottles may be transported in vertically depending arrangement in the carrier 20.

The parallel side edges 33 and 34 of the narrow portions 27 of the openings 25 are tilted upwardly at the locus of juncture with the associated large portions 26 of the keyholes 25, and are at that locus a part of the side of the ridge 23 in which the respective large portion 26 is located. As shown in Figure 3, such upwardly tilted end of the edges 33 and 34 comprise abutmcnts against which the ring 32 may engage if a bottle 30 is moved from left to right, as viewed in Figure 1, without first raising such bottle 30, thereby preventing the neck of the bottle 30 from reaching the large portion 26 of the keyhole-shaped opening 25 and in that manner temporarily and efiectively locking the bottles 30 in the carrier 20.

The handle 35 may extend transversely of carrier 20 between two rows of openings 25. Handle 35 may be formed in any convenient manner, as for example, by making two transversely extending cuts in section 21, from crest to crest of two adjacent longitudinally extending ridge portions 23, and then bending the handle portion upwardly to give it an upwardly convex configuration transversely of carrier 20. By rolling the edges of the handle 30 upwardly and inwardly a convenient grasping surface, as shown in section in Figure 13 may be produced, having downwardly concave longitudinal cross section at its mid point.

The variant of the invention shown in Figures 4 and S differs from the variant of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 3 in that the uniformly curved or undulating or corrugated or wavy surface of the body section 21- has been replaced in Figures 4 and 5 by a saw-tooth-shaped or angularly corrugated surface with the longitudinally versely extending and-longitudinallyextending rows of openings in said sheet of material,. said openings in each longitudinally extending row of openings. being formed partially in a permanently formed ridge portion and partially formed in a permanently formed depression portion, said openings each being of such configuration and construction and arrangement wherein a first sectionof each of. said openings is sufficiently large as'to permit the easy movement. thcrethrough of said enlargement but not sufliciently large to permit, the movement therethrough ofjsaid body portion and wherein a second section ofeach of. saidopenings issutficiently large as to permit the easy movement therethrough. of. said. neck portion but not sulficiently large as to permit the movement therethrough of. said body portion or said enlargement, said second sections ofsaid openings all extending in the same direction from the associated first sections of said openings.

7. A carrier for upstanding bottles having enlarged upper mouth portions at the upper end of the neck portion of the bottles, comprising, a'sheet of material, a plurality of spaced and parallel and elongated and substantially horizontal and. permanently formed straight depression portions in the form of longitudinally extending troughs in said carrier, a plurality of spaced and parallel and elongated and longitudinally extending substantially horizontal and permanently formed straight ridge portions in. said carrier, said depression portions alternating with and being parallel lengthwise to said ridge portions and disposed lower than said ridge portions, a row of bottle mouth receiving openings in each of said ridge portions, said bottle mouth receiving openings being larger than the enlarged mouth portion of the bottles to be carried, a row of elongated bottle. neck receiving openings in each ofv said depression portions, said bottle neck receiving openings being narrower than the enlarged upper mouth portions of the bottles. to be carried and adaptedto support bottles therein by their enlarged upper mouth portions, each of said bottle neck receiving openings extending from the trough of a depression portion up to and joining a bottle mouth receiving opening and each of said bottle neck receiving openings extending in,

the same direction from the associated bottle mouth receiving opening, whereby to provide joined bottle mouth receiving openings and bottle, neck. receiving openings extending in a plurality of parallel rows transversely and longitudinally of said ridge portions.

8. In a device for lifting and. carrying a plurality of articles having relatively large body portions as compared to their respective upstanding neck portions and enlarged top portions at the upper end of said neck portions, a shape retaining sheet of material, substantially hori zontally disposed and elongated openings of uniform size and each of which openings has a wider portion at one end compared to the width of the associated narrower portion at its opposite end and all of which openings are arranged in said sheetof material in transversely extending and lognitudinally extending uniformly spaced and parallel rows and all of which openings are so constructed and arranged that the wider portions of. each of said openings are larger than the top portions of each of said articles and the narrower portions of each of said openings are smaller than the top portions of each of said articles but which narrower portions are larger than the diameter of said neck portions and which openings are also so constructed and arranged so that all of the narrow portions of said openings are directed in. the same direction. and extend downwardly from the, associated wider. portion of each respective opening so as to adapt the. wider portions of the openings to receive the enlarged. top portions of complementary rows of upstanding articles aligned with said openings, said device being adapted to be moved. downwardly upon transversely extending and longitudinally extending parallel rows of. upstanding a1".- ticles to cause the enlarged top portions of. such articles to. pass through. the. aligned. wider portions of. said. openings whereafter thedevice is moved in a single direction in a plane substantially parallel to the plane in which said top portions of said articles are approximately disposed tocause the neck portions of all such articles immediately 1 below said top portions to enter the narrow portions of cles having relatively large body portions as compared.

to their respective upstanding neck portions and enlarged top portions at the upper end of said neck portions, a shape retaining sheet of material, substantially horizontally disposed keyhole-shaped openings each of which openings is defined by a continuous edge and each of which openings has a. wider portion at the enlarged end of the keyhole-shaped opening as compared to the narrower portionat the opposite end of said opening and all of which openings are arranged in said sheet of material in transversely extending. and longitudinally extending parallel rows and all of which openings are so constructed and arranged that the wider portions of each ofisaid openings are larger than the top portions of. each of said articles and are positioned at a higher elevationv than the narrower portions of each of said openings and which.

narrower portions of. each of said openings are narrower than the top portions of each of. said' articles but which narrower portions are wider than said neck portions and are also so constructedand arrangedv so that all. of the narrower portions of said openings are directed in the same direction and. extend downwardly fromthe associated wider portion. of eachrespective opening so as to adapt the wider portions of the openings to receive the enlarged top portions of rows of upstanding articles aligned with said openings, said device being adapted to be moved downwardly upon transversely extending and longitudinally extending parallel rows of upstanding articles to cause the enlarged top port-ions of suchv articles to pass through aligned wider portions of complementary rows of said openings whereafter the device is moved in. a single direction in a plane substantially parallel, to the plane in which said enlarged top portions of said articles.

are approximately disposed to cause the neck portions. of all such articles immediately below said. enlarged. top portions to enter the narrower portions of said openings whereafter the device is elevated to engage portions of the undersurface of. the enlarged. top port-ions of all such.

articles and lift the articles as a group for transportation, the articles being suspended by their enlarged. top portions to hang substantially vertically.

10. A device according toclaim 9, wherein said sheet of material is provided with longitudinally extendingand transversely alternating and uniformly spaced parallel ridge portions and parallel depression portions and wherein the wider portion. of each of said keyhole-shape openings is positioned at least partially in such a ridge portion and the narrower portion of each of said keyhole-shaped. openings extends in the. same direction and is positioned at least partially in such a depression portion and par-- tially in such a ridge portion with one end of each of.

said narrower portions extending upwardly in the same direction to the juncture with the associated wider portion of the respective opening.

11'. A device according to claim 10,.whereinv said sheet of material is provided. with. bracing means in addition. to said ridge portions. and, said. depression portions.

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein. said brac-, ing means extends transversely of said ridge portions. and. of. said. depressionportions.v I

13. A device for simultaneously lifting and transporting the.bottles. of a group of, bottles which are disposed substantially perpendicular to the plane of said, device and which are. arrangedin a. plurality of transversely extending and longitudinally rows spaced: complementary ito "the rows of said bottles,

each of said openings being elongated and being so constructed and arranged so; thatit is widerat one; end as compared'with the width of thenarrower end of each respective opening and so that all of said openings have thewider endithereofwider. than the-bulbous portions of the"necks of1said hottles and .so thatall'of said'o'penings have; the narrower endthereof directed'in the same direction and sothat, all of .thenarrow ends'of said'openings extending upwardly to the .wider end of each respective opening andso that all of the narrow ends of said openings are narrower than the vbulbous portions of the necks of said bottles but wider: than the necksof said bottles immediately below said bulbous-portions, the narrower ends of all of the openings being adapted to receive with a loose fit the individual necks of bottles immediately below said bulbous portions and to engage at least two spaced points on the undersurface of the bulbous portion of a received bottle at the top end of a received bottle when so position, said device being adapted to be moved downwardly over said plurality of rows of bottles having their tops approximately disposed in a plane to cause all said bulbous portions to pass through the wider ends of said openings whereafter the device is moved in a single direction in a plane parallel to the plane in which the tops of the bottles are approximately disposed to cause the necks of all such bottles to enter the narrow ends of said openings whereafter the device is elevated to engage at least two points on the underside of the bulbous portion of the top of each bottle and lift the group of bottles for transportation, the bottles being thus pivotally suspended so as to hang substantially vertically despite minor tilting movements of the device during transportation.

14. In a device for carrying bottles having enlarged upper mouth portions, a plurality of keyhole-shaped edges shaped to have one end of each set of edges define a narrow area portion and have the other end define a comparatively wide area portion, the portions of the keyhole-shaped edges defining the narrow area portions straddle the necks of bottles below the enlarged upper mouth portions of the bottles and engage the undersurface of the enlarged upper mouth portions of the thus straddled bottles, said keyhole-shaped edges being arranged in a plurality of transversely extending parallel rows and longitudinally extending parallel rows with all narrow area portions defined by the keyhole-shaped edges directed in the same direction and also directed downwardly from the wide area portions defined by the keyhole-shaped edges.

15. In a device for carrying articles provided with engageable projecting means which has an enlargement at the free end thereof, a plurality of'sets of elongated keyhole-shaped edges each set of which keyhole-shaped edges is so shaped so as to define at one end thereof a Wide area portion which is of greater transverse width compared to the transverse width of an associated narrow area portion at the opposite end thereof, each set of edges being so constructed and arranged so that it has portions of said edges which define the narrow area portion of the keyhole-shaped edges straddle said engageable projecting means inwardly of the enlargement at the free end; of the engageable projecting means and adapted to engage portions of the inner side of said enlargement, said keyhole-shaped edges being arranged in a plurality of parallel rows wherein at least part of each narrow area portion is directed downwardly from the associated wide area portion and wherein all of the narrow area portions are directed in the same direction, and shape retaining support means joining all said keyhole-shaped edges.

extendin ename! rows and the topsof-which bottles'iat the upper end of thenecks thereof are bulbous and disposed approximatelyin' a 16. 'In' a carrier forbotnesof fthe t ype wherein each; of the bottles has a body portion-anda-neck'portion'and wherein the body portion of each of the'b'ottles is relatively large as compared to-th e size of the: neck'p'ortion of the respecti'vebottle and wherein each bottle also=has an 1 enlargement" at "the outer end of said neck portion, a sheet of shape retaining material/a pluralityof transver sely' extendingand longitudinally extending rows or openings in=said sheet of material/each of said openings having afir'st section aligned with an 'associa'ted second section,- said opening each being of srich=- configuration and construction and -arran'gement so that the firstsectionof each of saidopenings is sufficiently large as topermit the easy movement ther ethroug'h of said'enlargementat the outer end of said neck portion but" is not sufficiently large to permit the movemen't therethrou'ghof said body portion and wherein the second'section of each of said openings is directed downwardly trom'the'as s'ocia'ted first section of the respective opening and -wherein' the second sections of" all of the 'opening's' are directed inthe same direction and wherein the second section of each of said openings is sufficiently large as to permit the easy movement therethrough of said neck portion but not sufiiciently large as to permit the movement therethrough of said body portion or said enlargement.

17. In an article carrier for carrying articles having a body portion and a projecting member extending from the body portion and wherein the body portion is relatively large as compared to the size of the respective projecting member extending from said body portion and wherein each article has an enlargement at the outer end of said projecting member, the combination of, a plurality of rows of substantially horizontally disposed sets of edges, each set of edges being continuous and defining a separate area wherein each area has a first area portion associated with an aligned second area portion, each said first area portion and its associated second area portion being so constructed and arranged and of such configuration so that the first area portion of each of the separate area portions is too small to permit the movement therethrough of said body portion but is sufiiciently large to permit the easy movement therethrough of said enlargement at the outer end of the projecting member and wherein the second area portion of each of the separate area portions is directed in the same direction and is also directed downwardly from the associated first area portion and each of the second area portions is sufficiently small in one dimension as to preclude the movement therethrough of said enlargement but is sufiiciently large to permit the movement therethrough of the remainder of said projecting member, a portion of a set of edges bounding each said second area portion being so constructed and arranged so that it straddles said projecting member and supportingly engages the surface of said enlargement nearest said body portion.

18. In a device for carrying a plurality of articles each of which articles has a body portion and an associated projecting member having an enlargement at the outer end of said projecting member, said body portion of each article being relatively large compared to the associated projecting member, a plurality of rows of sets of edges each of which set of edges bounds and defines a first area portion and an associated second area portion which first area portion and second area portion are of such configuration and construction and arrangement so that the first area portion is sufiiciently large as to permit the easy movement therethrough of the enlargement on the end of one of the projecting members and wherein the second area portion is sufiiciently small in one dimension as to be adapted to straddle said projecting member and to preclude the passage of the enlargement on the end of said projecting member through said second area portion and wherein all of the second area portions are directed in the same direction and at least part of each 11 second areaportion is directed. downwardly from the associated first area portion.

19. In a device for lifting and carrying a plurality of articles having relatively large body portions as comparedto their respective upstanding neck portions and. enlarged top portions at the upper end of said neck. rtions, a. shape retaining. sheet of materialv provided. with longi-- tudinally extending and transversely alternating and uniformly spaced and parallel ridge portions. and depression. portions, keyhole-shaped? openings. in said sheet of ma terial arranged. in transversely extending and. longitudinally extending parallel rows, each oi said openings having a large. portion as compared to an. associated. narrow portion at its oppsite end and being defined by :1 continu ous edge and being positioned at least partially in one of said. ridge portions with the narrow portion of each of. said keyhole-shaped openings extending in the same di-- tion andbeing positioned at least partialy in one of said. depression portions and partially in one of. said ridge-portions with one end of each of said openings ex- 12 tendingin the? same direction and upwardly to the iunc-- ture with the associated large. portion of the respective opening.

20. A device according to claim 19,. wherein said sheet of material is. so constructed and arranged so as to provide bracing means which extend transversely of said ridge portions and said depression: portions: of. said sheet of material.

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